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Georgia’s ruling party says Saakashvili backers plotting provocations

Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia party Irakli Kobakhidze called on the police and the international observers to pay special attention to the activities of the United National Movement leaders

Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia party Irakli Kobakhidze EPA-EFE/RAFAL GUZ

Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia party Irakli Kobakhidze

© EPA-EFE/RAFAL GUZ

TBILISI, October 30. /TASS/. Representatives of the United National Movement party, established by Mikhail Saakashvili, arm themselves with batons and electric shockers ahead of the Parliamentary elections that will take place on October, Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia party Irakli Kobakhidze said Friday.

"We’ve just discovered that they [the opposition] mobilize crews, armed with batons and electric shockers. A portion of these people are former military or police, they have carrying permit. We have obtained the list of people, mobilized for destructive actions, from offices of the National Movement," Kobakhidze said.

He called on the police and the international observers to pay special attention to the activities of the United National Movement leaders - former General Staff head Devi Chankotadze, former Minister of Education Dmity Shashkin and former lawmaker Nika Melia. Kobakhidze noted that the ruling party expects destabilization of situation in Bolnisi, Dmanisi, Marneuli, Batoumi, and in the capital district of Gldani.

On Thursday, Kobakhidze also accused the opposition of plans to destabilize the situation during the elections day. According to the official, the opposition plans to file huge number of complaints on the same issues in order to artificially inflate the negative statistics. He noted that the opposition also plans to steal equipment required for proper elections from the polling stations.

A total of 48 political parties and two political blocs were registered for he upcoming elections. The 150-seat parliament of Georgia will be elected via a mixed system: 30 seats via the majority system, and 120 - via the proportional system. In order to dominate the government, a political party must secure at least 40.54% of votes.

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